Outdoor Furniture, Patio Furniture and more!

It’s no surprise that outdoor weddings are more popular than ever; in fact, it seems only logical.  After all, millions of backyards have been turned into luxurious exterior rooms, complete with outdoor sofas, loveseats, lounge chairs, outdoor dining tables, and other comforts.  Furthermore, many people also have gazebos and pavilions, which are perfect settings for weddings and receptions.  With all of these amenities, who wants to go anywhere else?

The trouble is that insects also enjoy hanging out in these backyard havens; and they wouldn’t think twice about crashing an outdoor wedding.  So, if you’re planning one, take all possible measures to prevent them from ruining the occasion.  You can begin by spraying the area the day before the ceremony.  Using citronella candles is also a must; and, fortunately, they’re much more attractive than they used to be.  No longer available only in big, silver buckets, they now come in all colors of votive candles, which can easily be worked into any centerpiece, or used separately, in decorative holders.

Of course, taking steps to reduce the insect population is a good move anyway, because, aside from being mere annoyances, they can sometimes even be deadly.  Such is the case with mosquitoes, which can carry the West Nile virus.  Luckily, you can control them by eliminating their favorite breeding grounds, which are pools of stagnant water.

Don’t leave anything lying around outside that will collect water, such as empty buckets, flowerpots, planters, wheelbarrows, sandboxes, sandbox covers, wading pools, waste receptacles and lids, or old tires.  If you’re not using these items for their intended purposes, bring them inside, put them in your garage or shed, or get rid of them.

If you have any low spots in your yard, where puddles remain for days after a heavy rain, build them up with topsoil.  If there are sunken areas on hard surfaces that cannot be raised, put a few drops of dish detergent into the puddles.  This will make them uninhabitable by mosquitoes, and kill their eggs as well.

Keep wasps away by destroying their nests, which are usually found under the eaves of houses, sheds, and garages.  Just wait until dusk, when all the wasps are tucked in for the night, and squirt them with wasp and hornet spray; it shoots a steady stream that travels 20 to 30 feet, and kills on contact.

To get rid of maverick wasps, fill some margarine containers halfway with sugar water, cut tiny holes in the lids, and set them around the outskirts of the yard.  The wasps will go into the holes, and get stuck inside the containers.  Yellow jackets often nest in the ground; so, wait until after dark, pour boiling water down the hole, and you’ll wipe out the entire colony.

As for flies, well, they’re really tough to control.  I mean, they can certainly be trapped on fly paper, but it’s never a pretty sight.  So, I guess you’ll just have to do something creative, like having fly swatters for favors.

Yours Outdoors,

Kathy

Tags: Gazebos, lounge chairs, loveseats, outdoor dining tables, outdoor sofas, pavilions, Planters, shed, Sheds, waste receptacles

Well, last Thursday was Earth Day; but I’m just getting around to writing about it.  That’s because I was off last week (way off!), and, like the butcher who backed into his meat grinder, I got a little behind in my work!

I really wanted to acknowledge it, though, because it was the “Big 4-0” for the Blue Marble’s celebration, which was established on April 22, 1970.  Luckily, there’s still plenty of time to say “Happy belated Earth Day!”  After all, even though it’s official on only one day, its purpose is to make us all more aware of the many ways in which we can be kinder to the planet throughout the year(s).

Furthermore, many areas observe Earth Week, during which, they sponsor environmentally-beneficial activities.  For example, a lot of communities organize volunteers to clean and beautify their neighborhoods.  In fact, I was a part of one of these groups in my town last Saturday.  Every year at this time, we meet at the gazebo in the main park, then go around picking up trash and putting it into waste receptacles.

We also sweep sidewalks, clear rubbish from the river banks, paint, and plant flowers and trees.  Because these tasks are spread over several weekends, it’s more like Earth Month.  No matter how you look at it, working for the welfare of this world is always a timely thing; and there are countless measures that we can take to improve its status, many of which are nearly effortless.

For example, take litter (please!).  There’s just no reason for it.  It’s the easiest problem to solve, yet garbage is everywhere – on city streets, along highways, and in wooded areas; and, now, it seems that even public parks are getting messier.  Instead of having a relaxing cookout, you often have to clean up the picnic tables and pavilions after reckless revelers have left their trash lying around, even though the entire area is surrounded by waste receptacles!  In many cases, you’ll also have to clean the grills before you can use them.

Recycling is also simple, yet very important.  It includes not only disposing of garbage properly, but buying things that are made from recycled items; and there are all types of goods in this category.

For instance, polywood outdoor furniture, which is absolutely stunning, is constructed largely from recycled plastics.  Polywood outdoor dining tables, porch swings, patio chairs, porch gliders, and other pieces of porch furniture, look remarkably like real wood, but come in dozens of colors, and are practically indestructible.  You can also find hammocks made from Envirope, which consists of 100% recycled polyester fiber that is derived from discarded pop bottles, yet is as soft as cotton.

The list of eco-friendly merchandise gets more impressive every year.  These days, you can even find all sorts of stylish clothing that’s made from hemp, soybeans, water bottles, tires, paper, cardboard, foam cups, and tons of other stuff.

Just think – there may even come a day when everybody will be running around in their Earth Day suits!

Yours Outdoors,

Kathy

Tags: gazebo, grills, Hammocks, patiochairs, pavilions, picnic tables, polywood outdoor dining tables, polywood outdoor furniture, porch furniture, porch gliders, porch swings, waste receptacles

So, where were we?  Oh, yeah – talking about gazebos, of course.  This is a subject about which one can never say enough (and I oughta know!).  They originated as rooftop structures that would offer sweeping views of the surrounding landscape; and, apparently, they did that job well.

However, their more noteworthy accomplishment came years later, when people began building them on the ground.  While others may have been washed-up after such a letdown, for gazebos, the curtain then rose on a spectacular second act.  Performing under stage names that have commonly included summerhouses, screen houses, kiosks, pavilions, arbors, grottos, pergolas,  and pagodas, they have played continuously for centuries, to thrilled audiences around the world.

To say that gazebos have enjoyed a long run would be an understatement.  Although no one is certain of the precise date on which they made their debut, 5,000 years ago, they are known to have been playing the gardens of Egyptian royalty.  There, they were so highly prized that many people had their gazebos depicted in their tombs, along with the other possessions that they wished to take with them to the next world.

Also crowd-pleasers in ancient Rome and Pompeii, gazebos were built along the Mediterranean, as summerhouses for the affluent and aristocratic, who furnished them richly.  I guess that means that they had solid gold lounge chairs, porch swings, dining tables, accent tables, and  sofas.

In the East, the gazebo was such a smash hit that it had to add a second floor.  Indeed, in tenth-century Persian gardens, gazebos were elaborate, two-story structures, with cupolas, marble columns, and golden seats.  Often, they were built across pools or streams, in order to be cooled by the water running beneath their marble floors (I guess they didn’t have ceiling fans back then).

China’s gazebos were quite ornate as well, while those in Japan were frequently called teahouses, and used for the sacred Tea Ceremonies.

Everywhere they went, gazebos were getting rave reviews; and they hadn’t even come to America yet (because it was still undiscovered, of course).

Perhaps we’ll have to explore this further in the future.  I’m dying to see how they got their big break, and finally began playing in “The States.”

Yours Outdoors,

Kathy

Tags: accent tables, Arbors, ceiling fans, cupolas, dining tables, Gazebos, lounge chairs, pavilions, Pergolas, porch swings, sofas